Paradox - The Undying Crystal Incarnate
by TheUndyingCrystal
Summary: The Undying Crystal, a powerful shapeshifting mage, has arrived in Spira. Despite her original intentions to retrieve a legendary staff, she discovers some of her written heroes and villains have somehow appeared and view for control. What will become of this ruined universe?-Alternate story occurring parallel to K Entertainment's new story, Kel Party: Final Fantasy Paradox X-
1. The Undying Chronicler

"C'mon, hurry up!" One of the men said nervously as two others worked on a crate.

"Almost…there!" The two men grunted.

As the cheering from the Luca Stadium nearby increased in sheer volume, their leader stepped forward.

"Get it open! The guards will be back any minute!" He growled irritably.

"Don't worry, boss! The guards ain't a problem! Nobody's coming!" The man standing guard said lazily.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

_Nobody's coming…Nobody's coming…_

I lifted my gaze, hearing the echoes across time and space.

The ship was sailing on calm waters, and the nighttime was quickly passing.

With little interest I noted the odd group of passengers on this voyage with me.

A Ronso with a severed horn, a woman clad in revealing robes that was almost entirely made up of belts tied together, an excitable young man with an interesting sword, some orange-haired loudmouth with a blitzball, and a cheerful young woman with short brown hair clad in robes that revealed her as a summoner. Aside from them, it was only a couple of blitzball teams and the "secret" cargo the Crusaders had stashed in the lower decks.

I let out a tired sigh as I allowed my hunched body to stand, slinging my gigantic satchel over my back and lifting my cane.

As I hobbled across the deck, a scroll slid out of my coat and fell on the ground without my notice.

"You dropped something, ma'am." I heard a polite voice echo from behind.

The woman in the black belted robes was holding the wrapped parchment out.

"Why…thank you, child." I rasped, extending my reptilian hand and taking the scroll. She seemed slightly unnerved when she realized I had four eyes behind my silver mask.

"Who are you, may I ask…?" I continued, sliding the scroll back into the folds of my weathered cloak.

"My name is Lulu, but—" She started, but then the excitable one came over and started talking to her. While she was distracted, I slowly hobbled away.

"Lulu, you say…perhaps…perhaps I will hear more of you…kekeke…" I whispered to myself, settling down into a new spot and carefully taking the scroll back out.

"_Huesn kiue…_" I whispered, and a quill and inkwell appeared. I took the quill and began writing upon the yellowed parchment neatly.

_We approach the large city of Luca. I can now retrieve my Baronocompaso from the newly arrived cargo ship as planned._

_Soon, I will be able to relocate the Nirvana. With that, it will be mere child's play to find the sphere hidden at the peak of Mt. Gagazet and the Tome of Unlife at the Zanarkand Ruins._

_Soon, I will have the components for the ritual._

_However, I will require a change of appearance once I claim the important tool. My human form will be sufficient to make the journey across Spira for the rest of the ritual materials._

_Perhaps—_

I suddenly felt an immense pain.

Something in the timeline was changing.

I hadn't felt a paradox in years.

"By the Blood Gods…" I grumbled, uttering a few words that made the scroll and writing utensils disappear into nothingness, and looked over the bow as I stood.

Luca was less than half an hour away.

"Eh…!?" I suddenly noticed him.

It was difficult to describe him, but to my senses…he was a paradox. I had lived and relived through the events of this timeline thousands of times to ensure the retrieval of the artifacts I needed. He wasn't in existence in ANY of them.

"I must hurry…paradoxes are too dangerous to risk aborting this operation." I growled, and lifted my staff.

It was a beautiful carved stick that would barely be a shortsword length to normal people, but it held power beyond imagination.

Carved from white Elder, with several crystalline orbs within the length of the staff that each glowed black, and finally the ending part of it was a whitened silver blade that could punch through a wyvern's skull. No matter what form I took, I would possess it in some way. Obviously, when I turned into my human form…it lengthened to accommodate such a change in my anatomy.

"_Huritus menthus…Luca Stadium…dock B…_" I uttered quickly, and I disappeared almost into thin air.

Paradoxes couldn't be gambled with. I needed to retrieve the Baronocompaso…quickly.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Gotcha!" The lid pried open, and an assortment of small items spilled out.

Several fiend trophies, crystals, a few moogle dolls, and a spherical golden object that had several rings around it like a beautiful model of a planet.

"What the fuck is that thing, boss?" One of the men picked it up, examining the cyan crystal slowly spinning in a clockwise fashion.

A cane-like staff appeared in his throat moments later. His blood painted the ground beneath him as he collapsed into a dying state.

They looked back in shock, and saw the owner of the weapon.

"…That…is mine." I stood before them, a hunched-over, four-eyed, masked, and carrying a gigantic satchel the size of a Desert Drake.

"Get her!" The leader roared, and the four other men charged with their weapons readied.

I simply waved my hand, and the staff whirled around and became their deadliest enemy yet. Each strike made no difference, for there was no person wielding it to push back.

It only took moments for one to fall, and then the second and the third.

The fourth attempted a maneuver that actually impressed me, strafing around it to attack me. Unfortunately he forgot about the weapon and it went straight into his skull and through his head.

"Die, old hag!" The leader let out a berserker-like roar and charged straight for me.

"_Adula youngina_." I uttered with a smile behind my mask.

As he brandished a giant greatsword, a powerful darkness enveloped me and blinded him.

When the haze finally cleared, a new me stood before him.

I was a young woman with dark brown hair that was braided twice on each side, fiercely glowing red eyes that would put a chill down anyone's spine, a slender and attractive body, and was stark naked.

My staff reappeared, having turned now into a walking stick made especially for my height and preference.

"Old hag?" I made a knowing smile and my staff, in a blindingly fast movement, impaled him to a crate.

"ARGHH! GAHH!" He let out an agonized scream as I opened another crate.

"Ah…these garments should do." I found some that suited me well. A dark crimson noble's dress that boasted an impressive view of my chest, and a black cloak and hood to wrap around my body. As I dressed in them, his screams were all but nonexistent.

"W-why…argh…why?" He whispered as I approached the crate.

With a careful hand I retrieved the Baronocompaso from the bloody remains of his first henchman. I shifted the gears that spun around the center crystal a bit, and it began spinning once more.

"Because you idiots tried to steal my property." I answered simply and began walking away. My staff drew itself from him and I retrieved it, walking with it once more. I cleaned the bloodied tip with my dress and continued walking onwards.

Suddenly, I felt the timeline shift.

The buildings and landscape that Luca was composed of began to pulsate. Writhe. Almost liquefy. The signs that an extremely bad paradox was occurring.

"Shit." I sighed as the wave of fractured time slammed into me headfirst.


	2. The Battlefield

I awoke to fire and smoke.

"Gahh!" I sat up, gasping for air.

It only took moments for me to realize where I was.

"Zanarkand?" I looked around, confused. How did a paradox send me into the past?

"Is that all you got, ya slimy bastard?!" I heard someone yelling, and gunshots echoing aside the screaming.

I leaned upwards to see who it was, and was immediately shocked.

"_Cynthia?!_" I thought with a gasp.

A blonde-haired young woman with long hair was firing a pair of pistols at something in the distance. She wore a brown trench coat, a pair of tan short shorts, a brown cowboy hat, and a revealing tan strapless top. A shotgun was strapped to her back along with several pistols on the inside of the coat.

A flash of purple and black whirled in the sky.

I managed to get a clear look at who it was, but I instantly knew. His gigantic, eyeless, and horrific demonic body. Superbia Omnem.

"Die, you filthy human!" He roared, making several energy blades aimed at her with his huge greatsword.

She barely dodged the attack, pelting his armored body with bullets as she deftly maneuvered over the ruins landscaping.

I suddenly was pulled up by a strong grip.

"What the hell are you doing here? Civilians should've evacuated!" Deneve and Noel were standing next to me, brandishing their claymores.

I summoned my staff quickly and stood back-to-back with them.

"Sorry, I'm not a civilian." I smiled curtly, my eyes glowing bright crimson.

The two warriors gave each other a puzzled look, and shrugged.

"Shit. Seekers on your right." Noel pointed in another direction, letting out an irate sigh. Judging from their heavy breathing and their ripped uniforms and cuts, they had been fighting for quite a while.

A pack of silver-plated dog-like creatures were sprinting towards us, led by their master. Elijah of the Drakon, lance outstretched, was going faster than most people would imagine possible.

"**Void Blade**!" A rough voice echoed throughout the ruins and several blades of pure darkness rained down upon the pack, causing several explosions that sent Elijah flying into a skyscraper.

Abraham, Watcher in the Wings and the Seeker of the Abyss, landed on a ridge above us. He looked especially exhausted, covered in minor wounds and his usually glowing silver eye especially dim.

"…Noel…get her to safety. Deneve…hold them off. We can't risk her to be harmed." He wheezed, kneeling down to take a breath.

"Gotcha. C'mon!" She gestured to follow her.

"I've got a faster way." I smiled, and rose my staff.

"_Ilthru Beris Danar Perinis!_" I chanted, and transformed into a giant black hawk.

Noel smiled and hopped on my back.

"That way." She told me, and I took off into the blackened sky.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Looking rather ragged, aren't we?" Abraham heard the sinister voice and turned.

A swift kick in the face sent him flying over the ridge.

Alexander stood over him, wielding both his double-bladed sword and his serrated battleaxe.

"Could say the same for you, Emperor." He smiled tiredly, and phased.

A single slice across his armored chest staggered the embodiment of rage and another threw him several feet back.

"Still stubborn as ever, Abraham. Why don't you face it? You've already lost! **INNOCENCE**!" He roared angrily, and he sent blades of white energy across the landscape, the energy causing a fuel tank nearby to completely annihilate the hill Abraham was on in a spectacular whirlwind of fire.

"**Requital**!" A barrage of white blasts of energy slammed into Alexander, engulfing him in a massive explosion.

"Good…but not good enough." When the smoke cleared he still was standing, unfazed by the blast.

Several monstrous creatures were gathering around their battlefield, each of them as gruesome and nightmarish as the next.

"**FUS RO DAH**!" A wave of unrelenting force sent most of them flying as the black armor-clad Argonian landed on the ground deftly, dual wielding his favored blades. The two allies confronted Alexander, taking their stances.

"This is getting more and more fun, indeed!" He chuckled maniacally, and his armor-clad form began glowing bright red.

"Now!" Abraham phased, and slashed into Alexander's back in an almost berserker-like rage. Blueyes whipped out his bow and sent a black arrow towards his face.

"**Unending Rage**!" He briefly let go of his weapons, caught the arrow, and sent his other fist into Abraham's face. He threw the arrow back and it buried itself in Blueyes' chest, then slammed his other opponent into the ground after his first strike. Before his weapons had even touched the ground he had them back in his hands.

"Damn it…looks like we'll have to play dirty. Blueyes!" Abraham coughed, spitting out blood on the broken ground.

The wounded Argonian nodded, and uttered the words of the shout.

"**Lightning Blitz**!" A bolt of lightning struck Alexander directly, and several strikes of the Zodiac Blades sent him flying across the battlefield and through several buildings.

"That won't buy us much time. Let's go!" Abraham groaned from the effort, and sheathed his swords.

Blueyes let out a grunt of pain as he ripped the arrow from his chest.

"Good luck with getting me out of here fast." He chuckled darkly, and managed to stand.

"We need to get out of here, and fast. I didn't expect Elijah to find us so quickly." He helped the Dragonborn limp over to the clearing, and the two flew into the night sky.

"Hopefully Noel got her out…if not, then we're in a lot of trouble." Blueyes wheezed, looking back briefly at the swarm of monsters that gathered where they were just moments before.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

We arrived at the portal quickly.

I transformed back into my human form, Noel giving me my clothes and staff back.

"We need to go now!" She yelled as I took out the Baronocompaso.

"No…I have a different path to take." I sighed, the crystal pointing me in a different direction.

"She's right." Abraham and Blueyes appeared, a limping Cynthia arriving as well.

"What!? We can't just leave her here to die!" Noel protested, but he waved his hand.

"There's not much time to explain. You have to find the Thousand Gauntlet. It might be the only way to fight this catastrophe." He coughed, gesturing for Noel to help Blueyes through the portal.

"What do you mean? Why is this pointing to this Thousand Gauntlet? I had this calibrated for something different entirely." I asked curiously.

He exchanged glances with Cynthia, and began his explanation.

_In your world, there is a creature of myth and legend._

_A faceless abomination that stalks the night._

_You know it as Slender Man._

_But he is more than what you know._

_He is a traveler between the folds of space itself, consuming all life it encounters._

_What you see is merely a reflection across existence as it consumes another universe. It has destroyed entire dimensions, wiped universes from existence, and is a likely possible origin of the paradoxes._

_It has now chosen this world for destruction._

_We cannot allow that to happen. Your ties to these existences have brought us and even you here to protect it._

_If you die, we cannot exist._

_If we cannot exist, catastrophic consequences will erupt across your world._

_However, he is protected._

_Eternities of power have left him protected by a powerful shield._

_It is known as the Empyreal Void, something that makes even the Paling of a god look like the wooden shield belonging to a child._

_There is a way to break it, to our fortune._

_The sword of the Guardian of the Timeline, currently Caius._

_The Essence of Betrayal, a mysterious but powerful artefact._

_The heart of a god, something that is extremely powerful yet obviously rare and almost impossible to even imagine getting._

_Using them will allow one to break through the shield and confront the Slender Man directly._

_If we cannot accomplish this…unimaginable suffering will be felt everywhere._

_Undying Crystal…you must complete this task._

_We cannot allow the multiverses to fall into chaos and void._

"We have to go!" Deneve appeared, covered in blood and badly wounded.

"Undying Crystal…we shall meet again. I can promise you that." Abraham gave me one last nod, and what the ragged group of heroes entered the portal and left the past. I closed it securely and started for the east.

"_Whatever this Thousand Gauntlet is…I had better retrieve it. Admittedly, I'm not a heroic type of person, but I'd rather not get consumed by the void. Hopefully it won't be too difficult to get." _I thought irritably.

How the hell did I get stuck being the hero?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

An hour of walking later I found him and in the chambers of Yu Yevon himself, no less. He looked handsome but seemed out of place.

I knew almost instantly when I saw the Thousand Gauntlet, and quickly crept up behind him.

"Ok, now I have to find a way out of this time and into the present." He spoke with a smirk.

"Not so fast, child." I whispered into his ear.

He whirled around, but I was nowhere to be seen.

"What the…?! Who're you?!" He exclaimed as I finally appeared behind him, extremely close.

"Who am I?" I smiled darkly.

_I'm the Undying Crystal_


	3. The Triumvirate of the Void Walker

I was defeated that moment.

To his ignorance, I had been badly hurt on my side. I had vacated the battlefield, disgraced and destroyed from his power over the Gauntlet.

My parting farewell was a façade. I was ready to collapse and scream.

So, I fell instead of making my daring escape.

CRACK!

I slammed into the ground, my staff falling a few feet away.

All I could do was gasp for air as I clutched my wound. My vision was already dimming with each passing minute.

"Well, well…what do we have here?" A metallic voice, like the sound of a sword running across a steel bar, whispered throughout the night. Elijah the Drakon was the last thing I saw before my vision dimmed for good.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I found myself hanging from the ceiling, my arms chained to the ceiling, when I woke again.

I had been stripped of all my clothes except for the bare minimum, my black bra and panties that the dress had come with.

"Good morning, Crystal." An old but powerful voice echoed throughout the small room. The other Elijah was sitting in a wooden chair, writing in a book, as he greeted me. He was guarded by two creatures, both of which having the appearance of a hellish black knight wielding a greatsword.

"…Father…Elijah." I coughed, spitting blood on the white tiled floor.

"When I thought my enemies within the grasp of the Triumvirate, I must confess…it was a relief. Abraham and his band of fools have been dogging me for much time now. Chasing them through the paradoxes within paradoxes…alternate timelines, other Earthdwellers…an arduous…quite laborious task. Which has unpredictable results." He slid the book into his weathered blue robes and stood.

"Well, he is that way. I should know." I smiled. He did as well.

"Oh, yes. The Undying Crystal. Chronicler of time and space. You have travelled through dozens upon dozens of alternate realities and existences…only to end up here. I must admit, it is an honor to meet my creator…although I did not envision you as a woman. Especially a woman like you." He mused, pacing around me.

"What do you want from me? You know that you can't do shit to me." I rolled my eyes, already impatient from the conversation.

"Obviously. Hard to believe that Abraham didn't expect me to already know. Killing the one who created us is, quite obviously, a bad idea. Our stories, where WE come from, haven't ended yet. We would be frozen. A pointless, pathetic, and a neverending existence." He asserted.

"…What do you know about Slender Man?" I asked pointedly, and he paused.

"More than you think. Such an immense existence is hard not to notice for more magick-attuned people such as me. I have even spoken to it more than once." He answered smoothly, but I could tell the tension was rising.

"That, however, is none of your concern at this point. You are going to tell me…where and when did Abraham and his pathetic remnants went. The Paradoxia gate was just closing as the other Elijah arrived. Tell us, and we'll let you do what you want. Refuse to cooperate…and we can be persuasive." He changed the subject and smiled evilly.

"Like what?" I smirked sarcastically.

"Just because I can't kill you…doesn't mean I can't harm you. Badly. But, however, this field of expertise goes to my esteemed colleague here." The other Elijah stepped into the room, the first already leaving.

"Just going to ask some questions, darling…and we'll all right." He grinned evilly as Father Elijah left the torture room.

He reached forward and slid his clawed hand between the strap of my bra, and I kicked him in the crotch in response.

"ARGH! You want to be the feisty one? I won't play nice then, either!" He growled angrily and cut it, exposing my breasts to the frigid air.

"So, DOC, what's the first question?" I asked mockingly.

"When did you come here?" He paced around me, growling at me irritably as he went.

"About the same time…well…Hell, I think it was so far back, your human form still had color in your hair." I took an exaggerated pose of thought and insulted him.

His silver eyes flared with anger.

"Wrong. Answer." He whispered, his voice seething and his entire body shuddering in anger.

We remained motionless for several minutes, our eyes locked.

He rose an electrical rod from the table, and held it towards me.

"I'm going to enjoy this." He whispered icily.

The door shut itself as my screams echoed throughout the halls dimly, but eventually nobody would hear.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"What do we do with her?"

"We cannot kill her."

"But we cannot allow her to leave."

"What does the Master think of this?"

"Yes, what does He wish of us?"

"Enough." Elijah's voice boomed out, ending the argument.

The five members of the Triumvirate, led by the two Elijah's and Ra, sat on their thrones.

"The Master already has made his decision. She will not give us the information we need to find Abraham." His Drakon counterpart shrugged it off dismissively, leisurely examining his spear.

"The Purgatory are nearly summoned. An entire army, created by Xiphos, is ready to clear the way for the Master to arrive." Ra, his form being a tan human child in an Egyptian-style tunic, spoke calmly.

"Quiet. Our Master has come." Elijah cut him off and pointed to the pool of dark water in the center of the throne room.

The water began rising, forming a recognizable shape. In seconds, the Slender Man stood before them.

_You have done well…Triumvirate…_

_You have broken her spirit and her will to resist…_

_Little can prevent my arrival now…except for the Guardian…_

_Have you located Caius Ballad?_

"Master, we have not. He has sensed your quickly accelerating arrival and is in hiding. He appears to be nursing a new Guardian to take over his position." Elijah bowed in respect.

The room creaked slightly as his featureless face seemed to twitch.

_You…have…failed thus far?_

_Disappointing, indeed…_

_Perhaps you need an incentive…_

_I wish for you to find an artefact of immense power…_

_It is known as the Thousand Gauntlet…_

_I…already…have discovered…its location…_

_The new Guardian you spoke of…possesses the artefact._

_His name…is Kel…_

"But what of the Undying Crystal? What shall we do with her, Master?" Omnem broke in, impatiently tapping his feet.

Slender Man shifted to face him slightly.

_She is an important part of this existence._

_Kill her, and the entire multiverse of multiverses would collapse._

_Anyone who has a connection from Earth to these worlds is immensely necessary._

_Keep her prisoner here…Triumvirate._

…_I must go now…_

_Bring the Tributes to the Altar of Void soon…_

_The 3023543th sacrifice is due…_

He disappeared, the water splashing back into the pool.

"Alexander…you will find the Thousand Gauntlet. Gather a legion of the Purgatory and find this Kel. Obviously, we need you to kill him. Caius is a priority as well, if you see him anywhere." Elijah started immediately.

"Omnem and the Drakon will lead another legion of Purgatorian forces to find Abraham's group…and kill them all." Ra finished slowly.

Elijah stood from his throne slowly, walking down the steps to join his comrades in evil.

"Bind the woman and put her in a cell somewhere." The Drakon Elijah smiled darkly as his Hume counterpart gave the order.

"It'll be my pleasure…it'll be my pleasure…" He cackled evilly and followed his leader out the door.


	4. Escaping Regrets

"What do you think of this Kel?" Elijah asked.

"Clueless. Weak. Rash. Dangerous." Alexander responded bluntly.

They were watching as Kel and his summoned allies were being taken away by the soldiers on the terrorism charges.

"Dangerous? How so?" The Drakon cocked his head curiously.

"He has potential. And potential is dangerous for anyone with the means to take advantage of it. And he isn't lacking the means." The former Emperor explained, leaning against a wall.

"Took us a while to track him down. Caius is keeping an eye on the bastard." His companion commented irritably.

"And unfortunately, the standard execution method is more effective in this timeline. The Thousand Gauntlet could be damaged during the process." Stepping down from the ledge he was using to watch his prey, Alexander paced about quickly.

"Ah, yes…the ol' "microwave magic". My favorite. How about we swipe the Gauntlet and watch the human fry?" Elijah cackled evilly, twirling his spear.

"Unfortunately, Yuna's companion wasn't the only one to integrate themselves into the timeline. The Grand Maester is the second of the Renegades." He mused as he paced.

"It would be imprudent to reveal ourselves to Jager at this point. Father Elijah is formulating a plan to turn him over to our side, but any interference on our part could have severe consequences on his idea." Alexander twirled his double-saber in the air as he went about.

"What about Him? Was the offering delivered?" Elijah broke in suddenly after a moment of thought.

"Yes. Two dozen. Twelve evil-hearted men and twelve virgin women. There are only two more cycles to go before the Master is ready to enter this universe and consume it whole." He responded impatiently.

"…We will need the full Triumvirate for this. The Purgatory aren't strong enough to face the Thousand Gauntlet, despite their immortality and innumerability. We will…silently aid Kel. We will assault their fortress, assassinate the Grand Maester…and finally kill Kel for the Gauntlet." The decision was made finally.

"So that means the two legions given will be combined…that means over three hundred thousand of the Purgatory will assault the fortress." Elijah smiled in anticipation.

"No. We will attack with a force of three hundred. Moving two legions would attract Caius's attention and derail the plan." Alexander shook his head.

"Damn it…I mean, sounds like a great plan. So, should we inform the rest of the Triumvirate of this plan?" Elijah cursed quietly.

"Yes. The boy will survive long enough for us to convince the others. Come." He readied his giant serrated battleaxe and lifted it over his head. With a single swipe he slammed it downwards. Time itself shattered into glass, opening a portal for them to move through.

Elijah cackled in anticipation, giving Kel a final look before he was dragged off and following Alexander into the portal.

It sealed itself after the two entered, the only evidence of their existence here being a large crack in the ground.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

…_The Slender Man…_

…_An insatiable monstrosity that consumes entire universes…_

…_Nearly unstoppable…_

…_Immortal…_

…_More dangerous than any form of life you would find in the folds of the universe…_

…_The reason why you see him on your planet is because of the echo he leaves on time and space. The death of a universe is not something taken lightly. Children are especially vulnerable to changes in the timeflow. Ripples across the multiverse take his shape, a faceless human body with long arms wearing a black suit. They see him and are compelled to join him. They disappear into the Paradoxial Void, a place of nothingness that cannot be described with words…_

…_You must live…_

…_YOU…_

…_MUST…_

…_LIVE…_

…_Hello…Undying Crystal…_

…_You know me…as Slender Man…_

…_JOIN ME…_

"GAH!" I let out a gasp, awaking just at the last moment.

I had seen him. The faceless monster…the consumer of existence…he had come to me while I slept. Just before he could take me.

I then noticed where I was. Instead of the torture chamber, I had been clothed in my dress once again (even with my cloak) and put in a cell.

"About time you woke up." I heard the strangely familiar voice coming from the cell next to me. I didn't recognize her through the bars, though.

"Gabriella Thomas." She introduced herself with a sigh, taking a puff from her cigarette.

She was in her twenties and definitely military. She wore a deep blue uniform that had several pieces of bullet-proof armor integrated into the design. It also was apparent that she had been tortured for a decent amount of time as well, judging from her scars. Her hair was black, cut short, and left casual in terms of hair style.

"Gabriella…Gabriella…never met anyone by that name…nor did I create anyone…" I muttered, confused at this odd turn of events.

"You will, though. The timeline being altered by those idiots is starting to affect newcomers. I'm from the same place that Elijah and Mat are from. Worked for the government and Weyland-Yutani as a diplomat, interspace policewoman, and a commanding officer." She sighed.

"Mat?! How is Mat here? I didn't create him." I exclaimed.

"Yet you made him into your own image. You were given him by someone else, but you melded him. Changed him. Despite your best attempts to keep him the pure character someone gave you, you changed him in many ways." She explained, taking another puff.

"Where is he?" I asked quickly.

"Captured by the Triumvirate. The minute Elijah gets back from whatever mission he's on, Mat is a dead man. There is no way that Drakon will let him live a second longer." She responded dismissively.

"And there's nothing we can do to change that?" I groaned, gripping the bars tightly.

"There is. Do you see that gun near your cell? They tried to take it from me, but it got wedged in the door." She gestured to the weapon in question.

"What about it?" I asked curiously.

"I want you…to shoot me." She replied simply.

"WHAT?!" I yelled angrily.

"I have a lockpick that can get you out. In exchange, I want you to shoot me." She repeated.

"But WHY!?" I pressed desperately.

"I'm done…done with all this. I've seen too much death…and caused much of it. I'm no use to you, either." She shifted her body, and I saw. By then, tears were running down her face.

One of her legs was useless, put in a makeshift brace made up of bandages. It apparently had been bleeding, because the bandages were blood-red.

"They did that to you?" I gasped.

"No. You did." She replied blankly.

She shifted her leg back and took another puff from her cigarette.

" Your…story ends with this. I was shot in the knee and it was permanently gone. I lost the use of my leg because of it. They simply wanted to torture me some more, so they cut my leg up a little." She explained slowly, her voice breaking.

I could only sit back and close my eyes.

"…I'm sorry." I whispered at just the right volume for her to hear.

"I don't care about it anymore. I just want to die, like I should've died then." She waved my apology off, drying her tears quickly and trying to get her voice back to the normal tone that I had first heard from her.

It was with hesitancy I pried the gun from the jammed door and cocked the hammer back.

"Thank you." She smiled gratefully, and with a shaking hand she slipped a bloody lockpick into my cell through the bars.

"…I…I promise to change your future…Gabriella…" I closed my eyes, choking out the words. I squeezed the trigger three times, and ended Gabriella Thomas's life out of mercy. The moment the third bullet was out, I dropped the gun.

She was still in her lying-down position, with a peaceful look on her face. Her brown eyes were closed.

I took the lockpick and got to work on unlocking the door.

Even for me it wasn't that difficult, and within a few minutes the cell door opened and The Undying Crystal was free once again.

My swordstaff had been unceremoniously left outside the prison room, dumped like a walking stick in a corner.

I reclaimed my favorite object and took off through the Triumvirate's fortress.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

After retrieving my belongings and the Baronocompaso, it was relatively easy to escape the fortress hidden between the folds of time. The Triumvirate's fortress bore the appearance of a unbelievably expansive medieval castle, with hundreds of battlements, towers, and walls that thirty tall men stacked up wouldn't even match half the height. It sat on a island that seemed to float in space itself, and nothing else remained in this small pocket of existence between existences. Even Caius himself would be hard pressed to locate this fortress defended by millions of the Purgatory, but it would take a gigantic force to even hope to take the fortress. I made my way to the very edge of the island in order to escape.

"Hmm…now what? Kel beat me with the damn Thousand Gauntlet, so I'll have to strategize. One…I'll have to locate him, but he'll likely be at the main junction point in time; a thousand years after the destruction of Zanarkand. Two…find a way to overcome the Thousand Gauntlet and retrieve the cursed thing…and three…figuring out what to do with the damn thing afterwards." I mused, standing at the edge.

I lifted my staff and uttered the word I needed.

"_Almagest_." A shell of black energy formed around me, only to create a white explosion of energy that shattered time itself and created the portal I needed.

While others used their artefacts to travel through time, more experienced and more well-informed users shattered the timeflow itself to create a corridor that would lead to their destination. It prevented anyone from tracking the traveler and was much faster.

I stepped in, the portal sealing behind me and the Triumvirate's fortress finally devoid of the Undying Crystal.


	5. Defeat at Macalania Woods

"That was disappointing."

"Perhaps, yes."

"Stupid bastard. We don't even need the Thousand Gauntlet that much, especially if the kid's dead."

"Nevertheless, neither of you will lose your temper again."

"What!?"

"Because we are going to kill him. Quickly."

"I have spoken to the Master, and he has decided that the Thousand Gauntlet will be necessary only if Caius and his protégé remain alive."

"So I can kill him?"

"Yes. Preferably painfully."

"I apologize for losing my temper, Father Elijah."

"It is of no consequence. The boy now knows who we are and our purpose. The Purgatory will ravage the lands in search of him, and then we can deal with him ourselves."

"What of the Undying Crystal? She escaped several hours ago."

"Assuming she does not interfere, we can forget about her."

"Speaking of interfere…Elijah, I have a present for you. I trust you recall Mat?"

"Of course I do! What about the failure of a bastard?"

"The Crystal's power over this has strengthened. We captured him not half an hour before her escape."

"WHAT!?"

"You are excused."

"…Now what?"

"Well…now that we have a bead on Kel and Caius, we can simply follow. He isn't the only one who has power over the temporal highways."

"What do you wish me to do, Elijah?"

"Alexander, you will take two legions of Purgatory and ravage the land of all you see until you locate the bastard. We will then gather, if necessary, so we can finally pry the Gauntlet off his corpse."

"As you wish, Elijah."

"Omnem…now that I do think of it, there is somewhere where she may have fled. The Macalania Forest, a thousand years after Zanarkand's destruction. She would be meditating there."

"How are you sure of this?"

"She created us, so she knows us better than anyone. We know her better than anyone as a result. If you find it necessary, knock her out to bring her here."

"Yes, Elijah."

"Finally, Ra…you will locate Jager. He is the only thing distracting Kel and Caius from focusing on the threat we pose. Keep him in power, and wait for Kel."

"Of course."

"…Master…what do we do?"

…_Simple…you will kill him…I believe…that is a task…even you can accomplish…_

"I see your connection to us has strengthened."

…_Indeed…my arrival is close…_

"I have prioritized the other members of the Triumvirate."

_Yes…you have done that…but you will locate Abraham…he seeks…to derail our plans, Elijah…kill him…_

"Of course, Master."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Macalania Forest.

Tranquil. Quiet. Peaceful. A rare place for someone like me.

I sat in the enclosured lake, feeling the water against my bare skin. My clothes were neatly piled on a rock so they wouldn't get wet.

"…Slender…Slender…rules the night…" I whispered, my body spread out as I meditated below the cyan glow of the trees.

I didn't realize it with my eyes closed, but my telekinesis had run rampant while I rested in this state. Rocks and other objects, even my clothes and staff, were suspended several feet in the air around me.

The Baronocompaso was floating as well, the crystalline core spinning rapidly along with the rings and dials as it reacted to the energy.

"…Slender, Slender, never goes away…He always comes to take, no matter what you say…fear him, fear him, he is always there…Slender, Slender, always take care…" His name. His wretched name. He was responsible for the deaths of an infinite amount of life. He was death incarnate.

Visions went by my eyes, all of them the last moments of his victims. Then I saw him. He extended his hand, his featureless face staring at me the entire time.

"NO!" I screamed suddenly and fell back against the rock floor, the vision broken. Rocks cracked against the ground and my clothes fell into the water, to my chagrin. The Baronocompaso landed on the ground quietly and gently.

"Fuck…" I groaned and retrieved my soaking wet dress, tossing it on the ground so it could dry.

"The Undying Crystal…my creator." I heard the rough, inhumane voice that I knew instantly.

"Superbia Omnem…my creation." I turned around quickly, my staff returning to me instantly.

"Not exactly how I envisioned meeting the one who made me, a stark naked and wet woman wielding a toothpick. A helpless woman." He chuckled darkly.

"Ha ha. You're a riot." I scowled angrily.

"You would know, mom." He retorted mockingly.

"What do you want, you hunk of decomposing flesh?" I demanded, my voice seething with anger.

"YOU!" He roared and lunged towards me, drawing his enormous greatsword.

"Sorry. I'm not available for a relationship, and I'm not into demons." My voice was suddenly dry and even. I simply rose my hand and the "toothpick" slammed against the greatsword, stopping him in his tracks just before he could reach me.

With a yell I landed a hard kick to his side, sending him flying across the lake and into the water.

A huge splash that sent water spraying everywhere exploded from where he landed, the huge monster getting up moments later.

"Usually I'd beat the living shit out of you with my clothes on, but something tells me you wouldn't give me time to do that. And I already know you'd peek. **Firega**!" A massive fireball slammed into his hulking form, creating a massive explosion of steam and flames.

"**Revenge**!" He burst from the flames and his fist sent me sprawling out on the ground.

"I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOU!" He roared angrily like a wounded animal and grasped my leg. Before I knew it, he had thrown me like his own personal blitzball against the rock wall. I fell into the deeper waters, noticing the bloodied water and realizing it was mine. And I became pissed.

"**Scathe**!" I jumped out of the water and onto the ground, the last of my strength devoted into the spell.

He lunged towards me in an attempt to stop it, but it was far too late.

A ring of pure energy opened in front of me, a pillar of heavenly wrath consuming the Demon of Pride moments later.

As the energy faded, I let out a cry of pain as I held my side. A long slice across my side was pouring blood, and I didn't have much power left.

"UNDYING CRYSTAL!" I heard his agonized scream as what was left of Superbia Omnem burst out of the crater that my spell had created.

Half his body was completely disintegrated, an arm and part of his torso burnt away. In his remaining hand he clutched his greatsword.

I was unable to do anything other than scream from the pain of the cut he had dealt me.

"Y-You're…c…coming…wi…th me!" He coughed, his black blood spilling on the ground. He wasn't able to do much more than stand in front of me and cough.

"G..go fuck yourself." I responded, barely able to talk myself.

He suddenly coughed his blood onto me, my naked body covered with his blackened lifeblood. And then the intense pain set in. I hadn't realized until a few seconds in that his blood had mixed with mine.

That knowledge was enough to summon the last reserves of sheer anger I had for the Triumvirate over Gabriella and the rest of what they had done.

"You want me, you filthy son of a bitch? Come get me…in HELL!" I summoned my staff and the pointed weapon buried itself, through his back, into his blackened heart. He let out the most pained gasp I had ever heard, dropping his sword as he realized what had just happened.

"…E…l…Elij…Elijah…for…give me…I…I have failed…" He whispered his final words.

Superbia Omnem took his last breath and fell into the lake, his dead body twitching and shifting as the blackened blood that once filled his tainted body poured out into the water.

I shuddered from the pain, and summoned my staff to me again. The blackened swordstaff appeared next to me, the blood washing off easily enough.

"…**Cura**…**ja**…" I whispered and a faint white light encompassed me, closing the wound. I knew, however, that the demonic blood was flowing through my veins now. In less than a day, I would be half demon.

Possessing my staff gave me just enough power to heal myself, thankfully, but it wasn't enough to remove the infection.

I slipped my soaking wet garments on after cleaning the blood from his corpse off of me. I felt like crap, with such tainted blood dulling my senses and making me sick. There was a part of me that knew it would change. Tomorrow, I would feel stronger and more powerful than ever.

But I would always be impure.

I already knew that the only way to cure it was a Holy Water, but the closest shop that actually sold them would take weeks to get to.

There was no way to escape this fate.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

_Omnem…has fallen._

"I know. I could sense it."

…_The Undying Crystal…slew him…_

"…Unfortunate. It will be difficult to find a replacement."

_There…is more…she has become…tainted…their blood has mingled…_

"…Half-demon…half-human…thank you, Master."

_And Elijah…there is no more room for failure...the Triumvirate is weakened now…the most delicate stage of my return is upon us...we cannot allow another catastrophe such as this…forget the Undying Crystal…and destroy Caius and his replacement!_

"Yes, Master. It is my top priority now."

"Ra?"

"Yes, Father Elijah?"

"…Omnem has fallen, as you and the others have already sensed. Our priorities have changed. We will kill the boy and Caius. It is our most important mission now. Do you understand?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then pass on the word. We will ravage every timeline and even destroy the paradoxes of the paradoxes if necessary. That will draw Caius', and eventually Kel's, attention."

_The time has come for the Triumvirate to rise_


	6. Abraham VS Elijah

"You look wretched, Abraham." I was kneeling, gasping from the pain of his blows.

"…Where is Crystal?" I coughed quietly.

"I have no idea, honestly. I was hoping you could share." He landed a heavy kick to the face, sending me flying back several feet.

Father Elijah stood before me, this wizened old man that outclassed even me in magick and endurance. His sword Duskfang was sheathed, attached to his side carefully. Blood dripped from multiple wounds on my body, part of my arm crystallizing from the effects of his sword.

"I will find her eventually." He smiled, letting out a raspy cough on the side.

"And you will fail." I smiled back, only to receive another kick.

I was sent sprawling across the ground. My powers had been greatly drained from the battle in Zanarkand, and I couldn't even summon the Spear.

I crawled feebly across the ground, every nerve in my body aching.

"Goodbye, Abraham…the Seeker of the Abyss." He drew his sword and rose it above my head.

"Goodbye, Father Elijah." I closed my eyes, the last sight being Blueyes midair with his dual blades an inch from the Triumvirate leader's head.

"Yaaaaaaaaaah!" He roared, but Elijah disappeared.

However, a line across the Argonian warrior's lower chest appeared, blood pouring out as he slammed into the ground.

"The foolishness of youth." Elijah phased behind him.

"NOO!" I yelled weakly as the old man rose Duskfang above his head, and the blade came down.

Blueyes the Dovahkiin was decapitated and crystallized in an instant, the effect of the enchanted sword turning his corpse into a faceted statue much like a l'Cie with a completed focus.

He smashed the statue with a simple kick, the pieces flying everywhere and fading into the dust and shadow.

"ELIJAH!" I roared, the anger within me exploding as I slammed into him, the two of us smashing through several hills and making several craters.

The last moment he finally tossed me, sending me flying through the canyons and into the abyss. He landed harmlessly on another hill.

"Goodbye, Abraham. May the flames of hell cool your cold and lifeless body." Father Elijah whispered with a smile as he walked away.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Where am I?" I wondered out loud, walking down the endless hallways.

Most saw the timeline when travelling through as a sort of passageway or pipeline. I saw it as an endless hallway of doors.

I had intended only to go a few hundred years before the events at the Macalania Temple, but the effects of Omnem's blood was severely sapping my concentration.

Then it caught my eye. A door at the end, something that shouldn't occur. The timeline was supposed to be infinite, yet a glowing red door occupied the edge of the hallway. The others were a simple black, yet this one glowed eerily crimson.

There wasn't going back, the pathways were one-way tickets…and I didn't have the energy to summon another.

After a minute of thought, I winced again from the pain streaking through my nerves.

I was rapidly losing focus on maintaining even this gate.

If I was going to go, I had to do it now.

I opened the door and took the first step into the white oblivion that would land me in who-knows-where.


	7. The Hunger

When my vision cleared, I almost did a double-take.

I was in the city of Bevelle. Or at least what was left of it.

The once beautiful city was completely destroyed, only ruins of even the temple which housed Bahamut and the larger buildings remained.

Color was gone here, too.

Not a sound echoed throughout the city. The wind was nonexistent, the sound of the summer breeze absent from this depressing world.

"_This isn't a paradox. This is an alternate reality._" I realized after some thought. Slender Man's attack on Spira can't have happened yet.

_Crystaaaaaallll…_

I heard the faint echo bounce around the city, and immediately traced it to the temple. Most people would know as the place that Seymour "married" Yuna before Jager's tampering with the timelines.

I set off through the city, sprinting and jumping over rubble as I quickly climbed to the very top of the temple of Bevelle.

As I made the last jump, I let out a cry of pain and slammed into the ground. Omnem's blood was poisoning me beyond my threshold for pain.

My normally red eyes were flickering bright golden yellow, and I felt my body convulsing. I didn't have much time.

"…_Crystal…it has been too long…_" I looked up, and there he was.

Abraham. At least, I thought it was him.

A makeshift throne of rubble was built at the edge of the cliff, where Yuna had made her historic fall that was halted by Valefor.

"Abraham…?" I whispered in a confused voice.

He stood, and then I saw it.

Abraham's skeleton was on the throne, the remnants of his tattered cloak and his eyepatch easily recognizable.

The being that stood before me was not him.

"Hunger." I realized with a faint whisper.

"_For so long did he resist me. But longer still did he resist his feelings for you._" Hunger, an embodiment of human misery, stood over me mockingly.

He wore the same white mask and the black cloak that Abraham did, but he was over nine feet tall. I noticed the Zodiac Spear was hung on the throne, just above the skeleton's head.

"…Feelings?" I mumbled weakly.

"_Oh, yes…how can we not love our creator in some way? His feelings were stronger than any others…stronger even than Elijah's and the demon's. Somewhere in that shriveled husk of humanity was the poor fool that fell in love with you. How sad._" His voice dripped with venom, and I gritted my teeth.

"…You…bastard." I coughed, spitting blood upon the stone walkway.

"_You would know, mom…but now…the question is…what to do with you?_" The monster began pacing about.

"What happened here?" I fell back, clutching my stomach.

"_Poor, poor Abraham. You failed to save him from Elijah, so he let me in…just a little bit. And then I took more. And more…I consumed both the Triumvirate, his allies, and even you. Slender Man's barrier was unable to hold against me once I consumed much of the land, allowing me to consume him as well. With your death, unfortunately…I was unable to do anything further. I'm trapped here. Your other self's last revenge. But that all changes now…with you._" He explained with a gleeful tone to his voice.

"How so?" I gasped, and attempted to lift my swordstaff. Despite the extremely light nature, I was unable to even budge it.

"_You can help me escape. You WILL help me escape. And then you will die._" He finished with an evil laugh.

I felt helpless. I was helpless.

"You're not going to escape this place that easily." I mocked him, coughing more blood upon the ground.

"_Oh yes I will. You don't even have any of the powers needed to open the portal to the Void, so why bother? You're weakening by the minute, and you haven't even killed any of the Triumvirate aside from Omnem. Why bother fighting?_" He wheedled, letting out a broad laugh.

But then I remembered the Spear. What it was made for.

"…You would know, wouldn't you? So, how did it end, Hunger? Your Spear into him, or something like that?" I asked as casually as I could, eying the glowing silver weapon as I did.

"_Of course I did. It was more than powerful enough to kill the faceless bastard, and his death supercharged it. It's strong enough to kill a god now. You think I wouldn't go unprepared?_"He chuckled in a conceited tone.

I smiled back at him to avert his suspicion.

"Have you ever considered the fact that Abraham might still be tied to you?" I changed the subject quickly, my strength returning. I felt my body healing from the agonizing strain.

Just in time.

"_That's an interesting question—WHAT!?_" Just as he realized what I meant, I rose my hand and summoned the Spear.

It pierced the Embodiment of Hunger, and I caught the supercharged weapon.

"_YOU STUPID BITCH!_" I slammed the Baronocompaso into his Masked face while he was too shocked to react, and began summoning my portal.

He tripped over the throne and fell over, grasping my leg as he dangled from the edge. I gave him a wide smile, and I saw his red eye widen even further.

"Go to hell, where you belong." I gave him a bolt of lightning from the Zodiac Spear, sending his electrocuted and screaming body into the misty abyss.

Just before I went through the newly summoned portal, I held out my hand.

"Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!" I let out an impatient demand as a blackened purple crystal formed in my hand.

Hunger reappeared just as I stepped into the portal, and I gave him a cheerful wave as it closed right before he could get to me.

I gripped the darkened crystal, which I knew to be the Essence of Betrayal, and the Zodiac Spear in my hands. I held my swordstaff with the Spear in my right hand, and I noticed how strong I was suddenly becoming.

I was able to do more than I'd ever done with my strength, and I'm sure my magic abilities had been augmented just as powerfully.

I rushed through the hallways, trying to locate Abraham and the others with my sensing powers, and finally found the door.

The final door. I knew I would likely never come back if I went through there, but I didn't have a choice.

It had to end…and now.

I stepped through the portal.


	8. The Line is Drawn

I reappeared in the Calm Lands.

Abraham, Noel, Deneve, and Cynthia were standing in front of me, staring at the enormous dark moon-sized sphere in the sky.

A ruined temple was floating in the sky near it, only a few miles away from our cliff. I walked up to Abraham, and he turned.

The Hunter looked much better, having regenerated his power and apparently healed. The others looked fine as well.

He eyed the Spear I carried, and the others gave it a curious look and even gave his own Spear a look.

"This will kill Ra, but I need your help to defeat the two Elijah's and Alexander. The gate can't open until the Triumvirate has fallen, and the Purgatory legions are ravaging the lands below in preparation for their master's return." I explained, and they gave each other looks.

"…Elijah will expect an attack." Abraham noted.

"But he doesn't know that we have a chance." Noel countered, the four in deep thought. Finally it was Cynthia that let out a sigh.

"Fuck it. If we don't beat them here and now, there won't be another day to fight. If Slender Man wins here, timeline will be completely annihilated. I don't know about you, but I'm gonna die fighting." She announced, producing a shotgun.

"…She's right. I'd rather go down fighting as a warrior than running as a coward" Noel agreed, and Deneve assented.

"…If I get to kill that son of a bitch, I think I can go happy." Abraham smiled, and I smiled back.

"Then let's end this once and for all." I allowed myself to grin, and Abraham took off into the sky, followed closely by me, Deneve, and Noel carrying Cynthia.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The temple was a ruined place, parts of the floor already falling into the abyss.

Huge tendrils of darkness were already sprouting from the Void and piercing the planet's crust, draining all life from the area.

"They are coming." Alexander told him.

"I know. However, they lack the knowledge of how to open the gate and stop the Master. Furthermore, they lack the means to stop me. We will destroy them now." Father Elijah smiled as the four last remaining members of the Triumvirate stood waiting in the main hall, watching the entrance. Behind them was a black crystalline door that had several seals on it.

"Look forward to killing that idiot human when I'm done here. Hopefully Caius hasn't killed em' yet." The Drakon cackled evilly, tapping his spear in anticipation.

"Let us make this quick. We have much to do." Ra was in his child form, wielding his staff.

In the distance, three shapes and a slightly larger fourth shape were accelerating towards them.

"Let us mark the end of Spira…the so-called endless spiral of death." Father Elijah rose his arms just as they arrived and landed on the other side.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Let us mark the end of Spira…the so-called endless spiral of death." I heard Elijah speak first, raising his arms in anticipatory gloating.

"You're right. Let's end this…for you." I responded, leading the others forward.

"Kekekeke…I look forward to playing with your pretty face." The Drakon Elijah gave me an evil smile.

"You really don't understand, do you? There is no future for you if you help the Slender Man." Noel shook her head angrily.

"There is no future for anyone either way. We are simply ending the illusion much more quickly." Alexander responded darkly.

"You killed Blueyes. He was my friend! How do you justify that?!" Cynthia screamed angrily at him.

"Friends are meaningless. What can they do when you face death itself?" Ra didn't change his blank expression as he responded to her exclamation.

"You're right. Friends can't help you then. But it's what they do between when you meet them and when you say your goodbyes." Abraham rose the Spear as he spoke.

"You remain ignorant of the truth…not something unforeseen. Revolutionaries are often resisted by savages and fools on their journey...and I am no different." Father Elijah smiled, his seemingly old and frail body pulsing with dark energy.

"We'll see who's the savage. **Spiral Cut**!" Deneve drew her claymores and charged him, making several expert flips and jumps before reaching him.

"**Banishga**!" A wave of white and black energy slammed into her and sent the warrior flying into a nearby wall.

"It ends here. Now." I gave him one last look, and he merely smiled in return.

"NOW! **Gungnir**!" Abraham phased in front of me, a streak of energy sent from the Spear towards the four.

"Kill them. **Delta Attack**!" A shield of energy formed around the old sorcerer, blocking his attack entirely.

Alexander phased to another platform, Cynthia quickly following and wielding her twin guns.

Elijah the Drakon flew to where Deneve was thrown, Noel in close pursuit and wielding her claymore in readied attack.

Ra attacked me, slamming me into a platform several miles below the main floor, and I nearly dropped my version of the Spear from the impact.

Father Elijah stood to face his archnemesis, Abraham, who had followed him for so long and hounded his steps.

The line was drawn.

One way or another…this story would end.

And the fate of all existence would soon be in our hands…or their Master's.


End file.
